Purine content of Spinach
across 7 measured preparations · median 39.1 mg · spans low to high
Across the 7 spinach measurements in this database, purine content runs from 8 to 171.8 mg per 100 g, with a median of 39.1 mg — a fairly low-purine food.
On this page (5)
Lower-purine vegetables
Why the numbers vary
The vegetables measured here run from 0.4 mg to 415 mg per 100 g, so the category is a poor guide on its own — which specific food, and prepared how, decides almost everything.
Preparation matters more than the food's name. Spinach, young, raw measures 171.8 mg, while Spinach measures 8 mg — a difference of 21.5 times. Drying and grilling remove water and concentrate what is left; boiling can move purines into water that is then poured away.
Every form of spinach measured (7)
Highest first, each with the preparation that was measured.
| Food as measured | Per 100 g | Level | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach, young, raw | 171.8 mg | High | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Spinach, mature, raw | 51.3 mg | Fairly low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Spinach, boiled | 39.2 mg | Fairly low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Mustard spinach, (komatsuna), young, raw | 39.1 mg | Fairly low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Water spinach | 22 mg | Low | NHC 2024 |
| Mustard spinach, (komatsuna), mature, raw | 10.5 mg | Low | ODS-NIH 2.0 |
| Spinach | 8 mg | Low | NHC 2024 |
Questions about spinach and purines
Is spinach high in purines?
Median 39.1 mg per 100 g, spinach falls in the fairly low band (30–75 mg per 100 g) on the six-level scale used across this site. Individual measurements range from 8 to 171.8 mg.
How many purines are in a serving of spinach?
It depends entirely which preparation. Compared at the same 150 g: about 12 mg for spinach, about 258 mg for spinach, young, raw. That upper figure is a like-for-like comparison rather than a serving — dried and concentrated foods are normally used by the spoonful, so their per-100 g value is the fairer read. The table on this page lists both for every preparation measured.
Does cooking change the purine content of spinach?
Substantially. In this database Spinach, young, raw measures 171.8 mg while Spinach measures 8 mg per 100 g. Drying and grilling concentrate purines by removing water; boiling can leach some into the cooking liquid.
Where does this spinach purine value come from?
USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) and Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition). Values are total purines in milligrams per 100 g of the food as described, and nothing is estimated or averaged across sources.
How does spinach compare with other vegetables?
The median for vegetables in this database is 17 mg per 100 g, with a range of 0.4 to 415 mg. Spinach is above that median.
Source
- USDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Purine Content of Foods, Release 2.0 (2025) — Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Dietary Guideline for Adults with Hyperuricaemia and Gout (2024 Edition) — National Health Commission of China, appendix 1. Issued February 2024.
Reference information only. Purine values describe foods, not people: they cannot tell you what is safe for you to eat, and nothing here diagnoses or treats gout. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about your own diet and medication.